Folayang’s win over Aoki: A knockout out of nowhere

MANILA, Philippines – Eduard Folayang’s world title-clinching performance against Shinya Aoki was a victory that no one ever expected, but what made it more spectacular was how the Filipino fighter defeated the Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) legend with his bare hands.

Folayang captured the ONE Championship lightweight belt by notching a third-round technical knockout victory over Aoki in the main event of the promotion’s “Defending Honor” on Friday, November 11.

The 32-year-old Baguio City native thwarted the Japanese veteran by driving a hard knee to the head before unleashing a barrage of punches to coerce referee Yuji Shimada to wave it off.

The manner by which Folayang beat a high-profile competitor like Aoki shocked the world because it was the first world title bout in his 9-year professional MMA career.

In addition, Folayang was unable to finish an opponent since January 2012 when he forced Wadson Teixeira to wave the white flag in just 56 seconds with elbow shots under the Universal Reality Combat Championship banner.

All went according to plan for Aoki for the better part of two rounds as he pestered Folayang through a series of clinches, takedowns and submission attempts.

However, Folayang withstood Aoki’s submission advances and had begun to turn the tide through a sustained attack on the Japanese champion’s legs and body midway point of the second stanza.

The 5-foot 9 Team Lakay standout sprawled out of a takedown at the start of the third frame, clobbered a leaping knee to Aoki’s chin, and pinned him at the base of the cage for an unending volley of right hands.

Folayang gave credit to the game plan that he and Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao carefully devised for months.

“We just had a good game plan. I was surprised of how strong he was in the first round. But when I saw his lips starting to get busted, it was then that I know that I only have to maintain my stamina for the succeeding rounds. I knew I could win,” he told Rappler.

Folayang revealed that the knee shots to the midsection served as the vital weapon in dethroning Aoki and breaking his impressive 9-fight winning streak.

“We have a different stance. I knew my right knee would hit the spot. If I use my fake, I knew he’d go for a takedown. I had to be patient. I’ve rocked him in the third round when I found my precision and timing,” he shared.

According to Folayang, he sensed that he was bounced to get the knockout in the third period when Aoki started to fade in the second round due to the knee strikes.

“I saw him starting to get exhausted in the second round. My knee strikes to his body landed many times, which I think made him weak. In the third round, I already knew I could get the knockout. I just went for it,” he recalled.

Folayang might have proven his critics wrong by slaying an MMA giant like Aoki, but he stressed that faith was the key element in winning the ONE Championship lightweight title.

“I know people didn’t believe that I can make it, especially I was facing a legend. But you should keep believing in yourself and keep believing in God who’s always there to strengthen you,” he said. – Rappler.com